Mixed application- Biology masters program- How do you think this is perceived?

[jren76]

I am applying to a mid-level biology masters program for the fall (yeah summer applications) at the same university that I am completing my MPH in.  My application has some strengths and weaknesses in it.  I'll start with the weaknesses.  I have a some W's, F's, and repeats of courses.  I don't know what it is, I don't like C's so I've taken a few courses to get a better grade.  

 

I have a few W's from my junior college before transferring, a D that is repeated (in math), but overall my GPA was 3.4 and I managed to get good grades in my math and science courses (I was transferring and taking some pre-med requirements).  

 

I transferred to a top 20 university to complete my BA in philosophy.  I started strong, but I ended up having a personal issue that affected my performance.  I did real well in some O-chem and biology courses, and I kept up with my philosophy major overall, but I was burned out by my senior year.  I bombed an entire quarter, took some incompletes, I tried to play catch up by piling on more work the next semester.  Not a good idea.  I managed to hold my philosophy major, but my math and biology just went south.  I didn't fail anymore classes, but I was squeaking by with C's.  Meanwhile in my major, I had a knack for by then and I was getting A's.  I end up with a 3.0 overall GPA and 3.3 in my major.  

 

At this point, I was not prepared to go into grad school or into a career so I decide to go to a rural school for a post-bacc in biology to get my science grades up.  I should have taken a break and worked at this point and address the personal issue that had been affecting me before getting back into school, but I decided to keep going.  Again in my post-bacc, I had mixed success.  I completely failed a physics class, but I was getting A's in my biology courses (ones I had repeated from my former school).  Was here for 2 years but I was working a lot to support myself and my classes were not a priority.  I was however, doing some very satisfying professional work in the student advising center.  In addition, I was leading Supplemental Instruction courses for biology and chemistry.  However, I managed to get a C+ in an upper division biology course and and a C in stats and some B+'s in other bio classes and a couple of A's and a couple of W's in some miscellaneous.  I ended up with a 2.3 from the post-bacc experience overall.    

 

My transcripts were all over the place, but somehow I was accepted into an MPH- epidemiology program across the country where my family was.  I ended up really liking the MPH program and doing well in it.  I maintained a 4.0 in my program while taking lower division physics courses (A's), an O-chem lab (A+) and a graduate level microbiology course (B+).  I was heavily involved with student government.  I've been a lot more interested in my studies in general since grad school and my mind and goals are a lot more clear.  I want to do research in molecular epidemiology.    

 

Those are my shaky transcripts.  But I have a few strengths-

 

Work experience: I have an interesting research job in public health.  It's not directly related to biology, but it is research.  A lot more of the hypothesis forming qualitative research, but there is a fair amount of data collection and recently have been doing more in protocol design and grant writing.  It's focus is poor communities and the PI is well-known in the field of epidemiology.  I had a genetics lab job at the previous top 20 school, but I didn't really do much in it.  I performed well because it was routine, but I didn't get too involved.  I volunteered to an evolutionary biology lab for a quarter or two as well.  I lead supplemental instruction courses in biology and chemistry, and I did academic advising for students on academic probation (all while I was neglecting my own classes and getting  a couple of W's!)  

 

Letters:  I have a great letter from my supervisor on this job that I used for this application.  She is not known in any field, but we work close and we have a good relationship.  The PI of this project is well-known in epidemiology, but I do not get a whole lot of face time with him.  I am working on a thesis with him and will be able to get a letter after I complete next semester.  My other two letters for this application, I have no idea if they will be good or not.  I did well in their classes and they seemed to like me, but I wasn't close to either of them.  They seem like decent people, but professors can be a little weird too, so you never know.  Both have biology backgrounds.    

 

GRE's- Pretty decent.  I took them once and had a 600V 620Q 4.0AW.  Quant is a little low for competitive biology programs, but it seems to be a little above average for biology majors.  I'll retake it again if I do not get in this cycle, but I was comfortable submitting this score.  

 

SOP- I spent a lot of time on this.  I wrote and revised and had professors in my department edit and give me feedback.  It looks solid.  I did not focus on my past too much, but did mentioned it lightly.

 

Publications- In process in epidemiology and the qualitative work I am doing, but not yet.  I have submitted some grants that are being reviewed, but still have not heard back from them.  I plan to keep my position here and just transfer to the other department.  I want to finish working on these projects and get a few publications from the data and to complete my thesis.   

 

In addition, I am pretty good with the tone of my emails and I have been in correspondence with the graduate coordinators of this program since the start of applications.  They have been equally cordial with me.  

 

It's mixed- I am hoping for conditional or provisional acceptance at least, but I am also prepared to take extra biology courses and the GRE if I do not get in, but I know that I would do well if I were given the chance.  As for the issues I have had in the past, I have been addressing them and I am in a much better position than I was in the past.  It's unfortunate that this happened and remained a cloud over me for a few years while I really needed to perform at my best, but I am happy that I have started to work effectively again.